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Main Newsletter May 16
May 16, 2026
Today: Sunny, high 65, winds southwest at 10 to 15 miles per hour. Tonight: Partly cloudy, low 55. Rain early with fog later, low 49. Tomorrow: Mainly sunny, high 72, winds west-southwest at 5 to 10 miles per hour. Sunset tonight: 8:00. Sunrise tomorrow: 5:29.
Richard Normoyle, East Hampton Town’s principal building inspector, spoke about 2025 accomplishments and 2026 goals at Tuesday’s town board meeting in Montauk, but all anyone wanted to hear was how long it will take to get a building permit if they were to apply for one today.
By Christopher Gangemi
 | Only two people spoke in favor of legislation that would allow “employer sponsored” housing to be developed within East Hampton at a public hearing last week: the prospective developer and his lawyer. Seven residents spoke against the proposal. By Christopher Gangemi |
 | The town board unanimously passed the East Hampton Public Safety and Accountability Law this week, making clear that the federal government has every right to enforce its laws but clarifies the role of local law enforcement when such actions occur. By Christopher Gangemi |
 | When voters from Sagaponack to Montauk head to the polls here on Tuesday, no matter what school district they’re in, they’ll find budgets for the 2026-27 academic year that are tax-cap compliant. The districts have managed to preserve all of their programs and services without piercing the cap, which means the budgets need only a simple majority to pass. By Alison Morris Roslyn, Leigh Goodstein, and Carissa Katz |
 | According to recent filings made to the Suffolk County Board of Elections, East Hampton Mayor Jerry Larsen has returned $33,000 in donations made to his Jerry Larsen for Town Supervisor campaign following the East Hampton Town Democratic Committee’s accusation after his January filing that he had accepted donations over the legal limit. By Christopher Gangemi |
 | Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez Monday morning, just two days before her high-stakes debate with East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen, who has run a tough Democratic primary race against the incumbent. By Christopher Gangemi |
 | Technology may be helping travelers cut time from their commutes and shave minutes from their vacation trips, but some Sag Harbor Village residents say that same technology is ruining the quality of life in their otherwise quiet neighborhood. By Leigh Goodstein |
 | The Dick’s Sporting Goods “rotational pop-up store,” Walter Hagen, opened Thursday at 34 Park Place in East Hampton. By Christopher Gangemi |
 | East Hampton Village residents will pay a slightly lower tax rate in fiscal year 2027 than in 2026, according to a summary of the tentative budget issued by Marcos Baladron, the village administrator, to Mayor Jerry Larsen and the village board this week. By Christopher Walsh |
 | Twenty people spoke at an East Hampton Town Board public hearing last week on a potential 13.5-acre land acquisition in Wainscott, most in favor of the town’s plan to use $3.975 million in community housing funds to buy the parcels at 549 and 550 Wainscott Northwest Road. By Christopher Gangemi |
 | Several applications from East Hampton and Southampton shellfish farmers will be under discussion Monday in Riverhead, for a county lease program that has proven controversial. By Christopher Walsh |
 | Seven potential water quality improvement grant projects were introduced to the East Hampton Town Board last week and two either directly or indirectly benefit Rita Cantina, the Mexican eatery in Springs that has been a party in a multiyear lawsuit against the town and has consistently angered close neighbors. By Christopher Gangemi |
 | Every parking spot on Gingerbread Lane was taken, with cars spilling onto the grass as families arrived for the International Heritage Fair at the John M. Marshall Elementary School. By Alison Morris Roslyn |
 | Bonac softballers won both on and off their home field last week, besting Hauppauge after celebrating the team’s 10 seniors. Also in the game, Izzy Briand, a senior pitcher, recorded her 100th strikeout of the season. By Alison Morris Roslyn |
 | East Hampton girls track hosted Harborfields on May 4, dominating the meet, 114-25. Yani Cuesta, the team’s head coach, was especially happy with the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. By Alison Morris Roslyn |
 | It would’ve been easy to give up on the Bonackers after they lost their first seven games of the season, but cue Journey. This team simply won’t stop believing. By Alison Morris Roslyn |
 | This photo from the collection of the Garden Club of East Hampton documents the gardens Anna Gilman Hill designed for her Apaquogue Road estate. By Andrea Meyer |
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